The firm is pleased to announce that it has been recognized as a recommended litigation firm in both Louisiana and Mississippi in the 2015 edition of Benchmark Litigation, the definitive guide to America's leading litigation firms and attorneys. Additionally, New Orleans partners Mark A. Cunningham, Pauline F. Hardin, and R. Patrick Vance are highlighted as local litigation stars, and Baton Rouge partner Kevin O. Ainsworth was also recognized as a talented future star. In Jackson, partner Jeffrey R. Barber and special counsel Keith R. Raulston are highlighted as local litigation stars, and partner Bradford C. Ray was recognized once again as a talented future star.

Jones Walker's Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group attorneys provide litigation counsel, advice, and support to many of the world's largest corporations, as well as to prominent local and regional companies. The firm's litigation practice has considerable experience managing and resolving class actions in a variety of substantive areas, including antitrust, securities, and products liability, among others. 

• Mr. Ainsworth is a partner in the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group in Baton Rouge and currently concentrates his litigation practice on complex litigation and products liability suits claiming injury to people or property. 
• Mr. Barber is a partner in the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group in the Jackson office, and he focuses his practice on bankruptcy and creditors' rights.
• Mr. Cunningham is a partner with the Corporate Compliance & White Collar Defense Team in New Orleans and maintains an active national trial and appellate practice focused on antitrust, intellectual property, export control, and securities disputes.
• Ms. Hardin is co-chair of the firm's Corporate Compliance & White Collar Defense practice area in New Orleans, and has extensive experience litigating business, commercial, and labor matters. In the area of white-collar and other criminal defense, Ms. Hardin has represented clients facing charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, false statements, bribery, public corruption, environmental violations, financial crimes, tax crimes, rape, murder and many other violations. 
• Mr. Raulston is special counsel in the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group in Jackson. He has tried numerous high-stakes bench, jury, and arbitration cases, and he has argued appellate cases before both state and federal courts.
• Mr. Ray is a partner in the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group in Jackson, and he focuses his practice in construction law, real estate litigation, title insurance litigation, fidelity and surety law, and copyright and trademark law. 
• Mr. Vance serves as the Practice Group Leader of the Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group in New Orleans, and focuses his practice on business litigation, creditors' rights litigation, and bankruptcy. 

Benchmark Litigation premiered its first edition in 2008. The publication focuses exclusively on the United States' national and regional litigation markets with research compiled over a six-month research period during extensive interviews with litigators and their clients. For more information on Jones Walker's listing, please visit the Benchmark website.